


Day 1: Opposites

by GemmaRose



Series: Femslash February 2019 [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: College, Conversations, F/F, Getting to Know Each Other, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 11:25:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17621510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Olivier doesn't know what's up with this eastern bumpkin in her Economics class, but she's going to find out.





	Day 1: Opposites

“You’re not like the other students.” Olivier said, crossing her arms at the brown-haired woman who sat in the back of her Economics class. She looked up from her notebook, and Olivier absently noted that her eyes were green. Unusual when paired with skin as dark as hers, unusual like so much else about her.

“How so?” she asked, wearing the best innocent face Olivier had ever seen on someone other than her baby sister.

“You aren’t from around here, for one.” she pointed out. The woman tucked her pencil behind her ear and closed her notebook, maintaining eye contact as she did so.

“And what of it?” she asked, her tone edged with warning. Olivier hadn’t gotten this far by backing down at the first sign of displeasure, though. She was going to unravel this mystery of a woman whether the lady liked it or not.

“How are you affording this?” she asked, gesturing at the lush campus around them.

“That’s a rather personal question from someone who’s never spoken to me before.” the woman blinked, her lips curling in a small smile. “Do you even know my name?”

Olivier opened her mouth to retort, and her cheeks heated as she closed it again silently.

“It’s Trisha.” Trisha said, finally looking away to tuck her notebook in a battered shoulder bag. “And you’re Olivier, aren’t you?”

Olivier nodded sharply. It wasn’t surprising Trisha knew who she was, she was quick to ask and answer questions in class and the Professor had taken to calling on her if other students couldn’t answer something. “Olivier Armstrong.” she folded her hands behind her back, shoulders squared and feet planted firmly on the pavement. “What brings you to Central University?” she asked.

Trisha stood, brushing some eraser shavings from her plain skirt as she rose. “I heard it’s the best place to get an education, shy of leaving the country.”

Olivier knew several future army officers who would’ve snorted and made a derisive comment at the mere idea of another country having more learned scholars than Amestris. She was rather looking forward to crushing those particular imbeciles under her heel, once she became an officer herself. “Why not a college in East City?” she asked. Trisha rolled her eyes, shouldering her bookbag.

“They’re not half as well funded as this one.” she pointed out, as if the fact was obvious. “Also, if you had the chance to travel, wouldn’t you?” she smiled, the expression and question both catching Olivier off-balance.

“I- suppose so?” she frowned. She’d travelled before with her family, but never terribly far, and she’d never really considered how far away she might be posted as an officer. Her father may be retired, but he still had enough ties to get her any assignment she wanted.

“Would you like to get some tea?” Trisha asked, catching Olivier off-guard again. “There’s a wonderful little cafe my roommate works at.”

“That would be nice.” Olivier said automatically, and Trisha gave her another dazzling smile before turning to lead the way. Olivier followed, frowning slightly as she lost herself near entirely in thought. She’d thought knowing why a woman with a heavy accent from the rural east came here would be enough, but even after getting those questions answered Trisha remained as much an enigma as ever. Her appearance spoke to a mixed heritage that had very little immediate correlation to her apparent home region, the books she’d spilled when she tripped through the door the first day of class spoke to a major which would have little use in a farming community such as was found in most of the east, and that wasn’t even touching on the _why_ she’d barely answered. Rural folks didn’t come to the big universities, few even went to the colleges in cities around the regional capitals, and even fewer of those who did were women.

The walk was short, unsurprising given that they employed and apparently catered to students, and Trisha greeted the woman behind the counter with a cheerful wave. The barista’s eyes widened as they moved over to Olivier. She gave her a curt nod.

“I’ll have my usual.” Trisha said as she walked up to the counter, bookbag bouncing on her hip with each step.

“One cup of Creta chai with extra cream and cinnamon, coming right up.” the barista smiled, but it dropped from her face as her gaze returned to Olivier. “And for your, uh, friend?”

“I’ll pay for my own drink.” she said, waving her hand dismissively. The menu board had an impressive selection of teas, and Olivier gave the the jars of loose leaves behind the counter an appreciative look. She’d have to remember this place, good tea was hard to find. The barista rang out Trisha, and Olivier stepped forward as her classmate moved aside to drop her change in the tip jar. “One mug of black dragon tea with milk.” she told the barista. “And a mint leaf, if you have any fresh.”

“Sorry, no mint.” the barista gave a small, fake apologetic smile. “Would you like-”

“Just the cream will do.” she interrupted, uninterested in hearing the sales pitch. She paid, dropping what few small coins she was given in the jar, and walked down to the end of the counter to await her drink. After a minute, she realized people were staring. She supposed the two of them must make quite the sight together, Trisha short and soft and dark with her plain clothes and battered bookbag next to Olivier’s own pale slender height and high-end clothing. She resisted the urge to tug on her curled forelock, instead tucking it behind her ear. Let them stare, she was going to be within three ranks of the Fuhrer himself b the time she was 30 and most of these students would never rise above simple businessmen.

Their teas were eventually delivered, and Olivier let Trisha lead her to an empty table by one of the front windows. “This is my favourite seat.” Trisha said as she set her bookbag on the floor, her tone nearly conspiratorial, as if this was some great secret. “I like to come here and people-watch between study sessions.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever done that.” Olivier said, taking a sip of her tea. Weaker than she liked, and too much cream, but still acceptable.

“I suppose it’s normal for you, being around so many people.” Trisha looked out the window with a small smile, and Olivier’s heart thudded hard in her chest. “I love Resembool, but it’s so _small_.”

“Resembool?” Olivier asked, raising an eyebrow. “That’s quite a ways away.” as far as she knew, the train didn’t even run that far east, though there was some talk of an extension in the works.

“Quite.” Trisha laughed, and Olivier found herself smiling as she lifted her mug for another drink.

“You come here often?” she asked, and Trisha nodded.

“Most Thursdays. I spend more than I should here, honestly.” she laughed, a dainty little sound, and Olivier hid her smile in another sip of tea.

“Perhaps we could study here together.” she suggested. “We do have that Econ test in a few weeks.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Trisha groaned, and took a big gulp of her tea. “I’d rather not study here, though. It’s kinda where I come to relax.”

“Ah.” Olivier looked out the window and took another sip of her tea.

“But... if you want, we could meet here around noon-thirty and then go study at my dorm?”

When Olivier looked back at her, Trisha had on a shy little smile, both hands curled around her cup of tea. She couldn’t help but smile in return, something warm and unfamiliar blooming in her chest. “That sounds like an acceptable plan.”


End file.
